UK: United Biscuits’ McVitie’s told to change Jaffa Cakes ad

UK television watchdog the Independent Television Commission (ITC) has decided to uphold complaints from several viewers about a television advertisement for McVitie's Jaffa Cakes.

The viewers had launched complaints with the ITC that the advert could encourage bullying of overweight children.

The advert depicted a kids' football team coach demonstrating goal-scoring techniques by eating Jaffa Cakes. At the end of the advert he was shown looking over to a boy who was fatter than the others, saying "stop dribbling, Bradley".

Complaints claimed that the advert mocked overweight children, but McVitie's advertising agency, Publicis, argued that the advert has singled out "Bradley" because the child had a memorable face.

The ITC ruled that the advert singled out in a negative manner a child who was overweight compared with those around him and that the advert was potentially harmful through the unthinking use of stereotypes.

McVitie's, a subsidiary of United Biscuits, has since changed the advert and the ITC has accepted that the offence caused by the original version was unintentional, reported Media Guardian.

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